Many car owners and PCO car drivers avoid getting electric vehicles and hybrid models under the assumption that they come with a heft price tag and a lifetime of battery maintenance. However, electric vehicles are easy to buy, more affordable in the long run, and easy to maintain.

One of the biggest advantages of electric vehicles is that fuel consumption is significantly lower and easy on your pocket. So, as a PCO driver, you might be in luck as you can save on your profit margins.

However, electric vehicles have become a centre of attention in the UK in the light of Vision Zero as announced by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. Many policies and projects are underway to make roads and transport safer for the citizens of the UK and reduce overall emissions in London to zero by 2030.

Therefore, electric vehicles are expected to play a pivotal role in the future and have launched an exodus of traditional fuel cars out of the market for good.

If you’re wondering if you should invest in an electric vehicle, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together a list of reasons why electric vehicles are better than fuel cars.

Here’s what you need to know:

Infrastructure Availability In The UK To Support Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles are going to be the new normal in the UK by the year 2030 as the government intends to ban the sale of fuel vehicles entirely. That’s why the majority of car manufacturers are producing more electric cars and launching many electric car variants to target consumers. And overall, the automotive industry has embraced this change with enthusiasm. However, there are still challenges in adopting electric cars for the market in the UK.

Under the UK’s Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Strategy and policy, 300,000 public charging points are to be installed by 2030, and 30,000 of them have already been introduced in previous years in 19,000 locations. So, this includes 5400 fast charging stations for public use at 3300 locations. On average, 600 chargers are added to UK roads every month, and 100 of these include fast-charging chargers. Currently, this infrastructure can support 750,000 plug-in vehicles.

8000 petrol stations in the UK serve 37 million diesel and petrol vehicles. In comparison to the 19,000, that may sound a lot, but petrol stations have shorter filling times than electric vehicles’ charging times. So, a greater infrastructure is needed, which is well underway. The government is also offering subsidies for installed home chargers for electric vehicles. This way, homeowners won’t have to worry about using public chargers.

This infrastructural support, government subsidies, and conscientiousness about using a vehicle that’s better for the environment is not only a foundation for a better vehicle but also unites the citizens of the world for a common cause. The zero-emissions goal has termed EVs better vehicles than traditional ones in terms of features, speed, design, and versatility.

No Emissions

Electric and hybrid vehicles have many benefits over traditional vehicles. So, with electric vehicles, you get zero emissions from the tailpipe. Also, Private Hire Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) don’t produce tailpipe emissions in all-electric modes. So, based on your vehicle model and hybrid power system, your HEV emissions levels will vary.

The lifecycle emissions of an electric vehicle vary based on the sources to charge it. In geographical areas that use low-polluting energy sources for electricity production, electric vehicles will have a lifecycle advantage over diesel and petrol-fuel-based vehicles.

In the UK, the energy for electric vehicles comes from many sources like natural gas and renewables, which are expected to increase in the following years. Also, these electric vehicles produce less noise, contributing to lower noise pollution in the environment.

Electric Vehicles Accelerate Faster Than Fuel Cars

Many of us think the vehicle must be fast if the car engine sounds heavy. So, it’s mistakenly perceived that electric vehicles must be slower and lacking in performance and speed. However, the opposite is true about these amazing machines. Electric vehicles accelerate faster than fuel-powered cars for everyday use.

Electric vehicles have a simpler internal combustion engine that can provide a fuller force and torque to propel the vehicle forward from 0 – 60 above within 4-8 seconds on average. In comparison, traditional combustion engines take longer to generate speed and power to achieve maximum torque. Also, the power is transferred from more moving parts like the gearbox making these cars less efficient.

However, there are some drawbacks to this awesome feature. Since electric vehicles have a single gear, car manufacturers often have to compromise between top speed and acceleration power. Think of it as having a bicycle with only one gear, and the highest gear would make it difficult for the car to get started on the road. And the lowest one can offer a good start but would make it difficult to go faster.

Therefore, electric vehicles are made with a balanced approach to speed and acceleration compared to gas-powered and multi-geared traditional vehicles. However, many electric vehicles have eclipsed traditional cars with their maximum speed limits making them fast enough for normal usage. So, unless you plan to take your car to the race track, your electric vehicle’s speed and acceleration power should be enough.

Electric Vehicles Can Handle The Distance Just As Good As Traditional Cars

The whole point of electric cars is to find a better alternative for transportation that’s better for the environment. However, if consumers are thinking of being more responsible, they’d need an equal substitute, if not better. And electric vehicles rise to the challenge and more.

Consumers are most concerned about how far electric vehicles car travel. This range has improved and continues to improve as the world shifts towards renewable energy sources. So, in an average car, you can travel almost 300 miles or 482 km on a full tank. In electric car models, a full charge has a range of 124-134 miles or 200-490 km. So, recent electric vehicle models like the Kia E-Niro (455 km), Chevrolet Bolt EV (459 km), and Hyundai Kona Electric (484 km) offer similar distance ranges to fuel cars.

This means you can easily go from London to Liverpool (350 km) or Brussels to Paris (316 km) on a single charge. Other luxury cars like a Tesla Model S-Long Range can ever travel to 610 km on a single charge. So electric vehicles are more than up to the challenge to take where you need to go without the inconvenience of running out of battery in the middle of nowhere. You get faster and better in terms of energy efficiency, speed, and convenience.

You’ll Spend Lesser On Maintenance

As mentioned above, electric vehicles have lesser moving parts than conventional fuel vehicles. So they require less maintenance. You don’t have to worry about oil changes that have to be done every 5000 miles, engine air filter replacements, radiator hoses, system flushing, fuel filter cleaning and replacement, and brake pad maintenance and cleaning.

And then there are other more extensive maintenance procedures like timing belts and exhaust systems. None of these items can be found in an electric vehicle except for brake pads. The brake pads are part of an electric vehicle’s energy-saving benefit due to the regenerative braking system.

So, your car’s kinetic energy is used to recharge the battery and reduce the need to use friction brakes. Also, a traditional fuel vehicle needs to change its brake pads every 30,000 to 50,000 miles. An EV can go twice the limit to over 100,000 miles without needing a change in the brake pads. Electric vehicles require a limited amount of service which has made them a favourite of PCO car rental companies who offer PCO cars for rent.

Is An Electric Car Worth It?

Now that you know how an electric car is good for the environment and helps you save on energy and money, let’s now take a look at the features that make these cars worth the money.

The Kia E-Niro is one of the best electric cars on the market. The newest Kia E-Niro model offers a 64 kWh battery with an increased speed time of 7.8 seconds from 0-62mph. The car also comes with a seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty. You also get some cool features like forward collision avoidance assist, lane keeps assist with driver attention warning and high beam assist, smart cruise control with stop and go, 10.25-inch touchscreen satellite navigation with European mapping, LED headlights with Bi-Function projection, black leather upholstery, smart key and button start, 8-speaker JBL premium sound system, 7-inch supervision cluster with TFT colour display, and 7-inch alloy wheels.

Many electric vehicles like the Kia E-Niro come with hatchbacks and wide leg spaces, making them ideal as a family car and a PCO car. As a PCO car driver, you can offer your customers a comfortable ride without having to worry about space and convenience. You can check out different electric vehicles in the market to find the best fit for you.

Find Your Favourite Electric Vehicle With PCO Car Rentals At G&M Direct Hire In London

There are many benefits of switching to an electric PCO car in London. You’ll be facilitated by the infrastructure and policy changes. You can also play your part as a responsible citizen making a better choice for the environment and your country.

You can choose from electric, petrol, or hybrid vehicles depending on your budget. We offer many electric vehicles in our fleets, like MG4, MG5, Kia E-Niro, Nissan Leaf, and Prius Plus. These are all popular PCO cars for hire because of their convenient size, features, and design among our PCO drivers.

You should be aiming for the hatchback as it will give you boot space, and choose a car with a lot of leg room to help make the ride comfortable for passengers. And our electric vehicles can also help you avoid congestion charges in the city during daily rush hours.

When you’re picking out your vehicle at the car rental, you can choose from many electric vehicles and traditional fuel cars like Toyota Prius Plus, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Prius Plus, Kia E-Niro, Nissan Leaf, MG 5, etc. These are all great hybrid, petrol, and electric vehicles that can offer you fuel efficiency and great mileage. If you’re looking for an affordable PCO car for hire in London, check out G&M Direct Hire.

We offer PCO-licenced cars for rent in Harrow, Whitechapel, Norwood, Ilford, and other areas. As one of London’s leading PCO car rental companies, you can rest assured about getting the best customer service and a smooth PCO car rental experience with us. You can call us or get in touch through email for more information on our services to get your hands on the latest PCO electric vehicles in the market.